Anthony Martial is ‘symptomatic’ of Manchester United’s issues and the Premier League giants should have got rid a long time ago.
That is the view of a typically straight-talking Simon Jordan. And even paid-up members of the ‘Tony Marshall’ fanclub would struggle to disagree with the one-time Crystal Palace chairman.
Especially after mannequin Martial lasted just 61 minutes at St James’ Park, presumably covering more ground when sauntering off the pitch than he did during an hour of banal nothingness on Tyneside.
And as far as Jordan is concerned, the mere sight of Antony Martial still leading the line in Manchester United’s number nine shirt is a damning indictment of an institution once ruthless and now rudderless.
Goal-less, spirit-less, and point-less too, on Saturday night at least.
Anthony Martial is still Man United’s number nine
“Anthony Martial is the sort of player who gets you the sack. Why he’s still at the football club is beyond me,” Jordan tells talkSPORT (4th December, 11am).
“He is symptomatic (of Man United’s problems).”
It is three-and-a-half years now since Martial plundered 23 goals during the best-ever season in United red alongside Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, a strikeforce which actually scored more in 2019/20 than Liverpool’s storied Salah-Firmino-Mane trio.
Barring once excellent Rashford campaign, none of that aforementioned trio have come close to realising that undoubted potential, albeit for very different reasons.
Frenchman’s contract finally expires in 2024
“It must be four or five years since I wrote (in my newspaper column) that this has to be Martial’s last chance saloon. They gave him another contract and he didn’t deserve one,” Graeme Souness adds, even a Liverpool legend sympathetic with Manchester United’s seemingly never-ending plight.
“They have, for a decade, made consistently poor decisions in the footballing matters. The most important thing in football is recruitment and who to sell. Who is not right to be a Manchester United player? Who doesn’t have the right attitude?
“And you have players who are going through the motions. Martial, for me, represents a decade of poor football decisions.
“You watch him in training and think ‘bloody hell, he’s a player’. But how many chances does he need? His chance (should have gone) five years ago! He shouldn’t be there.”
Martial’s contract, at least, expires during the summer of 2024. And, with all due respect to one of world football’s up-and-coming leagues, can you think or a more ‘Saudi Pro League’ sort of player than Antony Martial?
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